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• a response to the threat to the natural environment
• ecocentric (the environment has intrinsic value apart from its value to human ends)
• addresses environmental problems and methods that can be employed to solve them
Sustainable Development
• also called environmentally sustainable economic development
• encourages economic growth in a way that meets the needs of current and future generations
• discourages environmental harmful practices or encourages sustainable economic growth
Environmental Law
• enactments that ensure that the environment is protected
• provides legal basis for protecting endangered species, critical habitat, other natural resources and humans
National Environment & Planning Agency
- Established as a legal entity in 1991.
- Operates under the following acts:- NRCA Act 1991- Beach Control Act (1956)- Watersheds Protection Act (1963) - Wildlife Protection Act (1945)
- Provides policy framework for environmental management.
National Environment & Planning Agency cont’d
Some NEPA activities are:
- environmental education
- environmental monitoring
- project planning and monitoring
- issuing environmental permits and licences
http://www.nepa.gov.jm/
National Environment & Planning Agency cont’d
Management Tools Promoted by NEPA:
- Conservation
- Conservation Biology
- Environmental Management Systems
- Natural Resource Valuation
Conservation vs.Conservation Biology cont’d
• Conservation
- careful use of natural resources
- e.g., fuel wood, wild meat, wild plants
Conservation vs.Conservation Biology
• Conservation Biology- multidisciplinary science that
investigates human impacts on biological diversity
- attempts to prevent species extinction
- develops compromises between species protection and human needs
Natural Resource Valuation
• Process of placing monetary values on natural environmental resources, their services and effects.
• Allows for more accurate representation of the costs associated with development.
Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
• Management tool that enables organisations, institutions and businesses to address the impact of their goods and services on the environment.
• An EMS may include:– ways to recycle office paper; – more efficient waste management systems– plans to phase out or replace certain chemicals or
materials (NEPA, 2005)
• Example – Environmental Audits for Sustainable Tourism (EAST) Project.
(1997; Funded by USAID)
• After instituting EMS five Jamaican hotels reduced:– Energy use by 12%– Water consumption by 50,000,000 gallons– Energy use by 1,665,000 kWh.(Dollar value USD 330,000 per annum)